Overview

• Japan’s National Lawyers' Network Against Spiritual Sales met in Tokyo on Sept. 20 and adopted a statement seeking legislation to prevent post‑dissolution transfers to related organizations.
• The group cautioned that remaining assets after victim distributions could be passed to closely linked religious bodies under existing rules, undermining relief and the dissolution’s intent.
• The Agency for Cultural Affairs is drafting liquidation guidance, which is expected not to explicitly prohibit transfers to umbrella religious corporations, according to reports shared at the meeting.
• The statement also asks for a third‑party investigation into all lawmakers’ ties with the Unification Church.
• The Tokyo High Court appeal of the March dissolution decision is still pending; if the ruling is upheld, the order takes effect and liquidation begins without waiting for Supreme Court review, while a lawyer said Korea’s warrant request for leader Han Hak‑ja could have a positive impact.